War and Peace: Unions and Teachers in Illinois and Ontario in an Era of Standardization

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This session examines recent educational change in Chicago Illinois, and Ontario, Canada, and presents the results of a survey of 100,000+ teachers in the US and Canada on issues of standardized testing, and professional practice. Carol Caref (Research Director, Chicago Teachers Union) will discuss the current privatization movement in Chicago and its impact on teachers’ work and student well-being. Lindy Amato (Director of Professional Affairs, Ontario Teachers’ Federation) will discuss the Ontario case and specifically the tensions between maintaining system regulation while building teacher autonomy. Arlo Kempf (UCLA) will present the results of the first large-scale comparative survey on teachers’ work and standardized testing in the US and Canada with a focus on findings relevant to the preceding discussion.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Teachers Work/Teacher Unions

Chair

• Arlo Kempf, University of California - Los Angeles

Papers

• A Decade of Successes and Challenges: The Ebb and Flow of Teacher Labor Gains and Losses in Ontario - Lindy Amato, Ontario Teachers' Federation

• The Black and White of Education in Chicago’s Public Schools: Privatization Schemes and Classroom Practice - Carol Caref, Chicago Teachers Union

• Standardized Testing and Teachers’ Work: International Survey Findings for Ontario and Illinois Teachers - Arlo Kempf, University of California - Los Angeles

Discussant

• Arnold Edward Dodge, Long Island University - C.W. Post Campus